I am the Onikui Tengu
by Kondoru
Summary: Never invite a tengu to dinner, he just might pull some tricks. Haruka demonstrates why he is not the Onikui Tengu any longer.


I AM THE ONIKUI TENGU by Kondoru

Standard Disclaimers

Thanks to JP for Betaing.

* * *

It was a grand meal.

Mr Hagi, Viscount Edogawas lawyer was there, and Sugino had been invited, since the mountain kami seemed to have some sort of interest in Haruka's welfare. Muu-chan came too, she had not been invited but then they hardly needed to.

Kantarou had `not` been given an invitation, nor had Youko. "You just have to accept I have my very own life, "Haruka told his affronted master when Kantarou icily informed him it was not his night off. "Anyhow, Viscount Edogawa wants to discuss things with me in private."

"Like the suitability of letting his youngest run loose with a wild tengu?" Kantarou replied, a little too harshly.

"He's planning on giving me the shrine!" Growled Haruka. (This was perfectly true...Up to a point.)

They both knew exactly which shrine Haruka was talking about.

"You're not a human, how can you be deeded property?" Sniffed Kantarou.

"It `is` mine...Just who was bound in that rock for centuries? I have as much right to it as anyone else." Haruka replied with an equal sniff. "We will discuss this with Viscount Edogawas lawyer...He's been finding some legal precedent. " Haruka gave his most charming smile. "I could be coming home a Kami."

"The owner of a liability you mean." Kantarou grinned. "A ruined shrine with no attendants or worshippers and no income."

"Heeey, I might give you a job..." Haruka clapped his annoying master upon the shoulder.

"Haven't I got enough work to do trying to earn enough money to feed you two?" Kantarou laughed. "Ok, you may go, tengu-sama."

"I'll be back before midnight; it's only just about half an hour's flight to Viscount Edogawas mansion, after all." Haruka reassured his master.

Kantarou stretched his legs, "I hope you're not going to stop out too late, I was planning some fun for tonight."

`Yes master, my ass is always at your lordships convenience Thank you for using me and teaching me some much needed humility! Humility does my status on the Tengudo no end of good!` Thought Haruka as he put out his great black wings and took to the sky.

* * *

Haruka had been to Western style meals before, so he was familiar with the food and routine. In fact he was mostly watching his discomfited best friend.

Sugino concentrated on his plate, trying to manipulate the unfamiliar utensils correctly.

Muu-chan lounged on a placemat like a sybarite, picking food from a plate with her small paws. All sorts of concessions were made for Muu-chan, normally she would sit on her husband's lap at mealtimes while he fed her from his own bowl, this was a western style meal, new to her, so she had decided to make up some new dining etiquette.

The centrepiece was a great joint of roast meat on a silver salver.

This was pork, a favourite of the boar keeping tengu. Sugino had already taken far more than his fair share. (He was a Kami after all, and so theoretically outranked everyone else.)

Suzu had cut Muu-chans dinner into manageable pieces.

Mr Hagi sat across from them, he was getting used to the youkai. He had met Sugino-sama before, and naturally his small green ("Platonic!" Sugino had explained cheerily.) Wife. It was hard to be frightened or awed by such a cheery couple.

Haruka was new to him, but Viscount Edogawa, his family, and servants were used to him. "I hardly see Suzu-chan anymore" the Viscount had explained with mock sadness "she spends her free time around Ichinomiya Kantarou's house...But really she's visiting Haruka."

"Do you think it is safe for her to be playing with a tengu?" Mr Hagi had asked. "I have heard they are not the most trustworthy of creatures."

"Haruka's habituated to humans. Besides Ichinomiya Kantarou is working to mediate between the everyday world and the Other one. He trusts Haruka with his life. Youkai have as many issues with humans as humans do with Youkai. It's good that Haruka can live with humans and learn that they are not monsters. I for one like to see my Suzu-chan so happy. She never has had many friends."

"And then there's the legally problematic relationship between Haruka and this Ichinomiya Kantarou." Mr Hagi said. "You are concerned for his welfare, and so is Sugino-sama."

"`Legally problematic relationship`...That's a nice way to describe such an ugly institution as slavery. But being a youkai, Haruka would be entitled to no legal protection, would he?"

"That's hard to say, Youkai have been involved in compacts with humans since the time of the _Kojiki_ and _Nihongi_. They have no formal legal protection under our modern laws, However I am sure a judge presented with a case involving a youkai would take note of what such a being would have to say and pass impartial judgement. It is possible."

Viscount Edogawa smiled. "This is what Ichinomiya Kantarou wants, equal rights for youkai." He gave a little laugh "It`s a shame he doesn't practice it in his own household. I cannot do much for Youko, she is an animal, but Haruka is a tengu, a being on an equal footing to humans. If not superior."

Mr Hagi looked sad. "It's amazing the do gooders in this world who cannot see the mischief they themselves cause."

"I don't want to see Ichinomiya Kantarou in court, though." Viscount Edogawa thought highly of Kantarou, and it was only at Suginos behest he was consulting with his family lawyer.

"We could give him advice, put his pact with Haruka on an official footing, see to it that Harukas interests were looked after." Mr Hagi said.

"Sugino sama wants to see him freed. He says being a humans slave is greatly affecting Haruka's standing on the Tengudo. I don't think Ichinomiya Kantarou has even considered things like that." Viscount Edogawa was surprised at the exorcist's blindness...Or was it wilful blindness?

The two men had gone down to dinner.

* * *

The dinner was going nicely, even though Sugino had dropped greasy meat upon the spotless tablecloth.

Haruka smiled at his plate, he had an idea...It was a dark prank, to be sure, but sometimes those were the most amusing to the tengu...And it would demonstrate his feelings well.

He just hoped it wouldn't backfire upon him.

Haruka took a big lump of meat off of the salver with his hands. He held it up for all to see.

"Now, I all want you to have a bit of this nice juicy pork..." He gave the smile of one several degrees beyond eternal damnation. "No, no, use your hands! Pretend we have killed a boar and roasted it over a fire in some mountain fastness! Just this once, be a tengu!"

All present picked up a slice of pork in their hands. Suzu smiled at her hero; Haruka had a plan, she knew it.

Haruka turned to his fellow winged goblin "Sugino, my feathered friend! We will have the prayer of those who have fallen on the Tengudo...I assume you know it?"

Sugino nodded, "I think I do." He picked up a bit of meat himself.

"Sharp eyes of hawks

Talons of vultures

Wings of eagles

Swords of heroes."

Haruka shook him rough haired head sadly, "That's stuff a nestling learns in their tree hanging cradle...Wait a minute, you came to the Tengudo as an adult, didn't you Sugino?"

Muu-chan cooed in agreement.

"Gomen nasai!" Sugino grinned disarmingly, "It shows, doesn't it, my humanity? I am so ashamed!"

Everyone laughed at that.

"Very well, I have a better benediction." Haruka gestured with the meat.

"We who dwell in the trees and soar like birds in the sky" He began.

"We who can cast lightning bolts and start fires.

We who devote our long lives to the Bujutsu, and Gyo, and the wildest parties ever.

We who are able to Possess others, and yet are still possessed by our Egos.

We who belong neither in Heaven nor in Hell, so we are forced to experience both.

We who follow our own path, the Tengudo.

And I myself am a tengu, only loyal to my mountains lords the Dai tengu, and ready to rebel against them at any moment!"

He paused, then took a few bites, then turned the piece of meat over thoughtfully. Haruka sighed lustily, "I love pork, do you know it reminds me of my days as the Onikui?"

"You tengu eat a lot of wild boar, don't you?" Suzu added.

Sugino nodded. He had a nasty feeling this was not what his black winged friend was intending. He had heard too many stories of the Onikui Tengu.

"It's not that." Haruka shook his head. "It reminds me of human flesh." he caught all of their eyes in turn. There was a knowing glint in his steely eyes. Haruka's fangs and claws were visible, in that moment, he truly was the Onikui Tengu..."It's exactly like human flesh..."

There was a horrible silence at the table. Miyagi almost choked and swallowed her meat rapidly. Suzu gave an uncomfortable little humourless laugh, Mr Hagi went pale. Muu-chan spat hers out and was thumped on the back by Sugino.

"Does it shock you I have eaten humans as well as oni? Humans get possessed...I get hungry." Haruka told them. "I've even eaten my fellow tengu. I'm a cannibal." He said without shame.

"You're a monster." Said Viscount Edogawa without any real distaste. He knew Haruka never hid or apologised for his crimes.

Haruka smiled at Sugino, who was a bit pale, "but I much prefer humans, oni are carrion, and tengu too dry and stringy." He grinned at the memory, "humans are fatter and tenderer, especially little girls."

Suzu gave a start but grinned manfully back. Haruka could not frighten her, not even in his sometimes fey moods.

Mr Hagi gave the smile of one who is frightened and will not show it. He was beginning to understand what life as the Onikui was all about. Previously he had not really been to comprehend Haruka's reluctance to be freed from Kantarou's name pact.

"I am not the Onikui Tengu!" Haruka announced. "I am Haruka! I may still be a tengu, for let's admit it, for me to attain humanity is way beyond my limited means."

"...And after all the hard work and effort I put into `becoming` a tengu..." Sugino confided to Mr Hagi.

"I may be a slave due to a Name pact, But I lead a normal life, I live in a nice house, I have clean meats to eat, sake to drink and modern clothes to wear! I have a kind master, I have friends. I behave like a civilised Being and not a monster...So I have to apologise for being such a brute, and at table too, it's really bad taste of me, I know." He shook his head. "I just want you to know exactly what the Onikui tengu is truly like. I want him to stay in jail, thank you...Or he will eat me." He turned to Viscount Edogawa, "you may kick me out for my shocking lack of table manners." He bowed humbly.

Viscount Edogawa shook his head, "the Onikui must stay away. He's disgusting and I won't have him to dinner. But you, Haruka, are welcome here any time."

Haruka was secretly wishing that the Onikui tengu would be the recipient of Kantarou's attentions...And he would be left alone

"You are our favourite tengu" Miyagi said.

"Hey? What about me?" asked Sugino, a helpless look on his mischievous face.

"Haruka is `our` tengu, Sugino-sama" Viscount Edogawa explained. "It's his shrine on my land, after all."

Suzu hugged her winged hero "I love you Haruka."

"Ok, I forgive you...Just a little bit." Sugino gave Haruka a big hug, Muu-chan joined in.

It was, all in all, a very good meal.


End file.
